


Eye Candy

by VisualEcho94



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-26
Updated: 2014-05-26
Packaged: 2018-01-26 14:03:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1690916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VisualEcho94/pseuds/VisualEcho94
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maria comes home to a welcomed surprise after helping Coulson and his team out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Eye Candy

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually the first MCU fic I wrote, but I posted it on tumblr first.

Maria felt most of the tension of the day – the week, the month even - lift from her shoulders as she made her way into her unlit apartment, but some of it still remained. She wasn't exactly exhausted from helping Coulson - if anything the whole thing felt like a relaxing break after spending so much time in conference rooms talking to officials who didn't know how to handle their jobs – but it wasn't the issue. No, what kept her from relaxing completely was staring back at her from her Stark issued phone. An email with the time and location of the next useless congress meeting she would have to attend. Honestly, that dark hole was sounding better and better.

“Ward thinks you’d make better eye candy than me as Fury’s second in command. Maybe you should have applied for assistant deputy director before SHIELD imploded.” She said as she walked further into the darkness; switching on a lamp as she kicked off her heels. God, she hated wearing those stupid things. Why the hell did professional wear involve them anyway? Maybe she should protest.

“I didn't even know you could apply for the position, and here I thought you earned it. Guess people just need to have good penmanship and grammar.” Natasha said, not moving from the couch she was laying on. Neither mentions the intrusion she made into the locked apartment or seem shocked to the other reaction at her presence. After all, it’s nothing new to either of them.

“Oh yeah. How could you ever miss the election for A.D.D., it was always the talk of the HUB. I won by a landslide, being as popular as I am. No thanks to my superior work on field and on base at all.” Both of them share a chuckle, slowly letting their guard down as the brunette made her way into the kitchen.

“Hmm, remind me, is Ward the porcupine?” A smooth tone questions from the couch, red hair peeking up by the corner as Natasha stretches out. Maria’s lips twitch into a smile as she continues to go through her email, remembering clearly how Natasha had been nearby to hear her grumbling to herself that “people could never read her drawings” and “it was clearly a porcupine, not poop”. She never really knew when the redhead would be listening, but she almost always knew the answer to things Maria never remembers telling her. In any case, it’s nice to know that Natasha cares in her own way enough to pay attention to her ramblings. No matter how unimportant. It also fills her with guilt at being unable to answer who it was that misread her drawing in the first place, knowing both Clint and Natasha had had a very difficult time adjusting to the “death” of their friend and former handler. She clears her throat, not wanting to spoil the light air that has just settled around them.

“Yes, that would be the one. Turns out he’s one of the sleeper Hydra agents. Decided he was going to kidnap a member of May’s team. A total prick if you ask me.” She says, opening the frigid and pulling things out to make herself and her guest a quick dinner. Natasha grins, opening her eyes and looking over her shoulder at the brunette. “Porcupine. That’s very subtle of you Hill. Do all the analysis reports on agents have double meaning, or just the special ones?”

Maria raises an eyebrow, but refuses to look at the former agent as she goes about cutting tomatoes. She can only really hear the chopping sound of her knife as it slices through the fruit and hits the board, but she knows Natasha is no longer lounging on her couch. When soft, firm hands – ones that have been used to pleasure as much as cause pain – find their way onto her hips she doesn't stop cutting, though she slows down a bit. A warm breath runs along her neck, stopping just below the ear only to be replaced with full lips.

“Did you miss me, assistant director?” Comes a whispered questioned, making her lift her brow once again, but this time it’s accompanied by an open smile.

“I’m not the assistant director anymore. In case you missed the memo, SHIELD was disbanded.” She says, cleaning off the knife before moving to open a packet of bacon. She feels the redhead move away, but when she turns it’s to find Natasha sitting on her counter. The assassin looks at her, stares at her openly with wide green eyes, and Maria forgets for a moment why she isn't just wrapped up in them and the women they belong to. But then she feels her empty stomach and remembers how good food is and how she wants some now.

“I’m making BLTs if you hadn't noticed. If you want anything else on or with yours, you can grab it.” Natasha smirks, stretching a leg out to wrap around the taller woman’s waist and pulling her in.

“Can I have you?” She asks, playing with the ends of Maria’s ponytail, before pulling it out altogether. 

“You’re quite the charmer, aren't you?” Maria says, leaning in closer to the assassin’s space. “But I’m starving and if I don’t eat soon, neither will you”

She pecks the redhead’s lips before she moves back though, because how can anyone resist kissing a pouty Natasha Romanoff? That’s right, no one can. Heating up the bacon is fast and putting everything together is done just as quickly, even with Natasha just swinging her legs back and forth from the counter watching Maria do so. The silence is comfortable, the type they both enjoy when they are in each other’s presence. There is no worry or forcefulness to it and its really nice knowing the other is there, but not needing to fill the space with nonsense or small talk. It’s as Maria turns to grab plates she realizes that Natasha already has them and is transferring their meals. She half smiles looking at the redhead, thinking how domestic and normal the whole thing is.

A fleeting thought, because with lives like theirs – even with SHIELD no longer their employer – normal is never something they would have. It is nice though, however short the moment is. Of course even with a normal, non-killing and boring life, she isn't sure what she and Natasha would be. They've never talked about their situation; never did anything that would have others talk of it. It was just something that sort of happened out of nowhere and neither seemed eager to the stop it, so it continued. At first it had only been a way to relax and lose the tension that the job would give- to scratch an itch. After a while, it grew to both of them staying over in each other’s SHIELD issued bunks if they were in the same area. That bled into them hanging out outside of the work – and in if you counted the fact that they liked to spar together and Natasha liked to do paper work in Hill’s office from time to time – mostly with Phil, Clint, and the occasional agent. Once they started frequenting around each other’s apartments, time alone wasn't so uncommon.

If only either of them didn't pull away when the other did something they were unsure of. It was like a push and pull, this relationship of theirs; one they were complicating on their own respectfully. Maybe it was just a way both were unconsciously – or consciously – making it clear that a relationship wouldn't work between them. What they had was easy and fun, without all the hardship of a committed relationship. At least, that’s what they told themselves. It wasn't like they worried about each other on missions like couples would– Maria would check every couple of hours on the stats of any field mission the Black Widow was on, though just with her handler; Natasha would call in to Barton, Coulson, or any agent she trusted (scared) not to mention it and asked about Hill when she was away.

It wasn't like they got jealous if anyone approached the other – Maria would glare, harass agents, be very snappish to anyone and take complete control the next time she and Natasha were together; Natasha would go to the gym and beat the crap out of anyone brave or stupid enough to spar with her, preferably the agent who hit on Hill in the first place. It wasn't like they went on dates – they sometimes got coffee together, but most of the time they take turns making it in the morning; they would grab a bit to eat at the some dinner or fast food place after extremely long days at work. They don’t live together – Maria has clothes all over the redhead’s apartment, though most of them are there because the redhead took them; Natasha has books, weapons and make up all over the brunette’s place.

They didn't do regular couple-ly stuff like most couples – Natasha likes distracting the taller woman, especially when she’s working; Maria likes surprising the Russian with her favorite snacks when she has long reports to fill out. Maria takes care of the deadly assassin when she’s sick and watches Once Upon A Time even though she hates it; Natasha lets herself be taken care of when she feels weak. Maria runs her fingers through red locks when she’s reading; Natasha takes naps curled up in warm curves where she feels safe and protected. Maria complains about the mess that’s left everywhere, both at their respected apartments and in her office; Natasha leaves a mess everywhere to remind the brunette of her presence.

They didn't open up like most people in couples were known to do – Maria knows the names and back stories of the redhead’s favorite aliases; Natasha knows all of the protocols and regulations that the brunette is responsible for and which ones were created for her and Clint’s benefit. Maria knows the list of movies, TV shows and books that are ranked by writing, story line and character development that the assassin holds dear; Natasha knows which sports teams are important by season, players, cities and history. Maria knows about life in Russia and about how Natasha grew up; Natasha knows about life in Chicago and about how Maria grew up.

It should be easy, to talk about what it is they have. It shouldn't scare either of them – both equally thinking if they get too attached the other will flee. They are two of the strongest and bravest women on the planet, both deadly and scary in their own ways. They both gained the knowledge to kill at very young ages – one younger than most. They both joined a high class agency that dealt with otherworldly activities and threats. They both took part in the battle of New York, where a sadistic God tried to take over the planet. They helped bring down a government official who planned to kill over a million people and who had a secret sleeper army at his disposal- one of which was a brainwashed super assassin - with only three other people at their backs (and okay yes, one was a super solider, but he was against killing the former so that was a slight handicap); they both have survived the fallout of said high class agency. They both couldn't imagine losing the other, but were too afraid to say so.

“How’s working for Stark? Have you kicked his ass yet?” Natasha asks between bites of her sandwich, her eyes holding mirth as she looks at her companion.

“I don’t work for Stark I work for Pepper, who is lovely. Honestly, any women who can deal with Stark on a daily bias and still be sane has to be special; especially one who has also decided to love that man child.” Maria responses, thinking back to how great the CEO has been with all the short notice and limited knowledge that the brunette has been able to give her.

“Though, I've barely even worked for her with all these meetings the government wants me to go to. They don’t know how to deal with anything at all and really can’t figure out that they aren't getting anything useful from me. It’s awful and I just wished once, they’d give me a challenge.”

Natasha smirks, unconsciously running her foot down the leg in front of her; Maria just stretched it out more toward the redhead. “You could always tell them to shove it. It worked out great for me”

“Yeah, but see, I’m going to have to interact with them again for other issues in the future and I need to play nice. Or, you know, less snappish than I've been with them. God, their incompetence hurts my brain.” The brunette complains, pushing her empty plate away and leaning back in her seat.

“How about you, what have you and Barton been up to?” She asks, relenting when the redhead decides to play with her fingers. It’s funny how tactile the assassin is when she is in the presences of people she trusts.

“Just a lot of random things and the occasional binge on games and shows. Mostly boring stuff that isn't worth retelling. I miss having missions to go on or even just training the newbies. Hell I even miss doing the paper work, well pretending to do it at least.” The sly grin that reaches her lips makes Maria smile in turn, but she only nods for Natasha to continue. The redhead doesn't break eye contact and stays quiet for a long minute. Then she leans in and kisses Maria once quick, just a brush of lips, then again with more force. The brunette kisses back with equal force, cupping the base of Natasha’s head to bring her closer. The stay connected with small pecks that are drawn out from time to time, both grinning into each other and following the other’s mouth. Finally Natasha pulls back, resting her forehead on Maria’s as she takes the moment to enjoy the closeness. “I've missed you.”

Maria’s eyes widen at the confession, her mouth drying up as she tries to think of how to respond to that. Natasha keeps going though, not look into blue eyes, but not moving away either. “It’s harder than I thought it would be, knowing I can’t just see you in your office. It hasn't even been that long since the last time, but this feels different. You were in New York before the whole Hydra bullshit for two weeks and that didn't even feel as distant as this does now.”

“Hey.” Maria bumps her forehead, trying to get the Russian to look at her. “Natasha, I’m here. It is different, but I’m still here.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m just a little worried that things might not be the same now that we don’t see each other as much.” Natasha says, not quiet knowing how to explain what she’s feeling. “And I don’t want things to change.”

“What do you mean?” Maybe it was just wishful thinking on her part, but Maria really hoped this ended on a happy note. One that involved the redhead and her not tiptoeing over this relationship, because yes, she’ll admit it; they were in a relationship no matter how complicated they made it seem. “Nat, what do you want?”

“I want to be with you.” Maria sighs, kissing the women she loves – and wow she loves Natasha Romanoff; that may need to be analyzed at a later time – and pulling her closer.

“I want to be with you too. In every way you’ll let me.” She says.

Natasha smiles a full blown smile with teeth showing and eyes shining. She slips her hands into dark hair and pulls Maria back into her for more kisses. They aren't sure how they end up on Maria’s couch making out like teenagers, but they honestly don’t care. This isn’t just a physical thing for them anymore – it hasn't been for a long time – but even though they know they can always move to the bedroom there is no rush. It’s just them being Maria and Natasha, former agents of SHIELD.

Natasha laughs into a kiss, pulling back briefly “Do you want me to kick Ward’s ass? I think it might be fun.” Maria chuckles at the question, shaking her head and kissing her girlfriend –because yes, Natasha was her girlfriend - again. “Let’s just leave him to his former teammates. They have a score to settle with him and his douchebag-y-ness. Besides, I have better things for you to be doing”

Sometimes, Natasha thinks, it’s worth it to talk about feelings; Maria thinks she’s right.


End file.
